Ectoparasites such as lice and mites cause pruritus or pain in their animal or human hosts. Therapy which simply kills the parasite leaves the host with subcutaneous or intradermal residues which continue to itch for significant time periods after the infestation is extinguished. Furthermore, scratching during and after the episode frequently leads to painful excoriation.
It has now been found that certain ethoxylates exhibit insecticidal and/or ovicidal activity. The same boundaries which delimit the insecticidal properties also include compositions which have a valuable degree of topical anesthetic performance. Although chemically unrelated to any of the conventional anesthetic configurations, these ethoxylates demonstrate topical pharmacologic properties which can be variously characterized as analgesic, anesthetic or antiprurtic.
V. B. Wigglesworth (Journal of Experimental Biology, 21, 3, 4 p. 97 (1945)) in a study of transpiration through insect cuticles, reported on the moisture loss of Rhodnius nymphs following treatment with various surfactants. He observed that the ethoxylates of ring compounds had very little action, and that the eight mole ethoxylate of cetyl alcohol was the most effective surfactant be tested, the nymphs losing 48% of body weight in 24 hours. Wigglesworth failed to appreciate that this effect could be adapted to killing insects by an action having no counterpart in higher animals.
Maxwell and Piper (Journal of Economic Entomology, 61, No. 6, December 1968 p. 1633) explored the lethal activity of a large series of ethoxylates against southern house mosquito pupae. They found activity at high dilutions (in the parts per million range), but contrary to Wigglesworth, they reported greatest activity with some ethoxylates of alkylphenols.
In tests against lice and their ova, we have made certain discoveries which were unexpected in light of Maxwell and Piper, and Wigglesworth. We found efficacy only at concentrations several orders of magnitude greater than Maxwell and Piper. Where they reported that short ethylene oxide chain lengths were less effective than 4-6 moles of ethylene oxide, we discovered that the aryl alkyl ethoxylates were best at 1-3 moles of ethylene oxide, and that such compounds were good ovicides but mediocre pediculicides. Certain ethoxylates of aliphatic alcohols were much superior both as insecticides and as ovicides. Moreover, those most effective as toxicants were also found to be most effective as topical anesthetics.
The ethoxylates of this invention are well known as surface active agents and have been incorporated in many pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations as such. For example, polyoxyethylene (4) lauryl ether is 5.5% of a washable coal tar ointment, polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether is 8% of an all purpose anionic emulsion for skin application, and a mixture of these two lauryl ethers constitutes 35% of a commercial tar shampoo.
Smith (U.S. Pat. No. 2,666,728) teaches the use up to 5% of a nonionic polyethylene oxide ether of aromatic glycols in a composition for destroying lice. Lindner (U.S. Pat. No. 2,898,267) teaches the use of ethoxylates in emulsifiers for acaricidal compositions.
It is the object of this invention to provide new, safe and effective toxicants for lice and their ova. This and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.